Ex-Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has slammed Babar Azam’s performances, indicating that the star batter tends to underperform against better teams in key games. Kaneria indicated that Babar scores more runs against Zimbabwe or other weaker nations, as opposed to high-pressure games. This follows Pakistan’s premature exit from the 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, having lost to New Zealand and India. While Pakistan’s dream was shattered with New Zealand’s defeat of Bangladesh, Babar’s humble returns—64 and 23 against New Zealand and India—have been widely questioned. Kaneria had particularly critcized Babar for his so-called “lack of intent” while chasing against New Zealand when Pakistan required 321 runs.
No Intent Shown By Babar Azam
“Babar has not scored runs for so long, but when he scores, it is against Zimbabwe or against smaller teams. If he scores against big teams, there is no intent at all,” Kaneria told news agency ANI.
“There is no depth in the batting. Salman Agha and Khushdil Shah sometimes make contributions. Saud Shakeel is a technically correct batter. But Rizwan’s bat seems to have stopped working. When the Champions Trophy squad was announced, one could see it getting eliminated pretty soon out of the tournament,” he added.
Kaneria Names A Player Who Can Be The Next Captain
Besides, Kaneria has hinted that Fakhar Zaman, the injured and excluded Champions Trophy player, may also be a good fit to lead, commending his “X-factor” potential. He also criticized what he perceives to be a culture of mediocrity being tolerated at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), arguing that harsh actions need to be taken if Pakistan is to do better in the future.
“He is fearless and will ask you a few questions. He brings the X-Factor. Yesterday (during the Pakistan-India match), Pakistan did not have him,” said Kaneria.
“It has to be accepted he is an X-Factor player. He is not given much encouragement because it will cause Babar and Rizwan’s shops to be shut. But he is really hard-working and courageous as a cricketer,” he added.
Strict Guidelines Should Be Made For Pakistan Players
“If they do not produce the results, they can be asked to pack their bags and leave. There should be strict guidelines. But here, they make teams based on friendship and PR. When you make a team for your country, you do not think of yourself,” said Kaneria.
“But here, everyone is sitting, running their shop. Score small runs and keep working. Things do not work this way. If you work like this, you will also get results like this (Pakistan being out of CT),” he added.
